Method of and means for detecting gases



e. M. s. TAIT.

METHOD OF AND MEANSFOR DETECTING GASES.

APPLICATION FILED 0m. 4. 191a.

1,3U5fl125, Patented May 27, 1919 Suva W601 G. M. S. TAIT. METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DETECTING GASES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4.19l8. 1,3@5 @25., Patented May 27, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GQDFPJEY 15;. S. EAT-'1, @35 THE UNTTED STATES ARMY.

'01? AND MEANS FOR DETECTING Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2?,

Application filed October 4, 1918. Serial lie.

To aZZ 10. mm "it may concern Be it known that T, Goornnr M. S. TAIT, captain, Chemical l v'arfare Service, United States Army, a citizen of the United States, and stationed at /Vashington, D. {1, in the office of the Director of the Chemical Wa fare Service, have invented a Method of and Means for Detecting Gases, which the following is a specification.

This application is made under the act or March 3, 1883, chapter 143, (22 Stat. 625), and the invention herein described claimed may he used by the Government of the United States or any of its ofiicers or employees in the prosecution of the work for the Government, or a 7 person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon,

This invention relates the detection of gases, more especially it is concerned with the detection of poisonous gases mixed with air, and the ohject of my invention is to produce a novel method oi detecting gases and an suitable for carrying out my method.

Such device is especially adapted use ahoard ships or on submarines whee poisonous fumes or" chlorin are accidentally evolved. My invention is also of value in detecting the gases evolved on the battlefield in gas shell or gas cloud attacks by the enemy or gas or vapor liberated hy the accide l leaking of gas containing cylinders or shells, in ammunition depots or in gas factories, since most of the poisonous gases used to-day are chlorinated or hrominated products, l

T detect the presence of the gases by means of the character 0 the light emitted by suitable material in the presence of the to be detected.

More specifically my invention consists in heating a mass of suitable material and leading the gas to be detected into contact with the material whereby the material forms a substance with the gas to be detected whose vapor emits a characteristic colored light when heated.

Still more specifically my invention consists in heating a member which may consist of copper, strontium, calcium, calcium oxid, or other suitable material, in any con vcnient form, as in the form of a spiral,

ney of ordinary construction and 5 is re opening closed by a hinged door 2 in w.

gauze, cylinder electric wire, hall, block, other shape, by mec current, or in o 1* suitaole mann r cause the materia to emit its characteris' color when hroin into contact with the a" 1 e o The prererred tornor as follows:

A spiral of copper is placed in the heati g zone of a steadily burning flame, (such for example, alcohol), The spiral will glow without emitting-any light. The color a the flame will be deioendent on the material producing it. She vapors of a compound containing a halogen oeconie mixed with t air being red to the bu ner, the spiral emits Jes to show the pres- L 7 taming gas. no

18 set a transparent pane 3. lis the ch lamp proper. The casing of the lamp consists of two concentric casings 6 and "Z, inner one of which is closed to access while the outer casing 7 is provided with special inlet 8 adapted for coupling to pressure source of air supply when used on shipboard. Casing 6 has an opening in the top communicating with chimney 4-,

an opening 10 at the bottom into which is inserted the burner ll of the lamp 5.

The lamp consists of a well, 12, which holds the inflammable liquid, (alcohol), the ordinary wick burner 13, a perforated deflecting plate i l near the top, and a hood 15 which has perforations 16 at its bObbUi for the ingress of air and perforations 1? near the top for the egress of air. 18 is a copper spiral placed in the path of the flame of the lamp. It is attached by the extension 19 threaded through the perforations 17. 21

5 is a gauze cone to prevent the flame from flashing back accidentally.

In operation, the lamp 5, which usually -contains alcohol as combustible, is lighted. Air is drawn in through the opening 8 and 10 follows the path shown by the arrows, flowing around the casing 6 and becoming thus preheated, then entering the hood through the perforations 16 and passing upward. Itis deflected by perforated plate 14:, part 15 passing directly into the flame at and part passing out through perforations 17 forming a cylinder of preheated air surrounding the flame. This method of indirectly leading in air for combustion re- 20 sults in asteadily burning flame which is necessary in order to be able to detect small quantities of gas. The spiral 18 becomes red and glows without giving off. any appreciable' light. Should, however, any gas, as for instance phosgene, become mixed with the air entering the lamp, the copper spiral will emit light of a greenish hue due to the halogen in the gas. This affordsa ready means of detection of the gas mixed even in fvo small quantities with air.

My invention may becarried out by other apparatus than that described above. A metallic wire is heated to redness by the passage ofan electric current through it.

85 The air containing the gas is led into contact with the glowing member which will now be surrounded by a colored zone of light. Where copper is the metal used and chlorin containing gas is to be detected, 40 the action is as follows: The copper becomes red hot. The chldrin compound mixed with air is led into contact with the hot metal. The compound is broken down liberating chlorin which combines with copper formin volatile copper chlorid which,

when vaporized by the heated metallic member, emits the greenish color characteristic of volatilized copper.

Another modification of my invention consists in causing the burner to light only at the time an observation is to be made. A covered receptacle contains alcohol. Directly above it is suspended, in the zone of combustion of the burner, a--small amount 66 of a catalyzer, as finely divided nickel. This is surrounded by a copper gauze, or the nickel may be otherwise held in proximity to the copper. When the coverof the alcohol receptacle is removed, the catalyzer causes the alcohol vapors given off to ignite, thus heating the copper to glowing. If the air containsa halogen derivative the flame is colored greenish. When the test is over,-

the receptacle cover is. replaced and the flame thus extinguished.

v or sulfur containing compounds, may be detected by my method. I claim broadly the detection of gases except as limited by the following claims:

1. In a method of detecting gases, producing a characteristic colored light by heating said gases in the presence of a material which under these conditions will cause emission of such light.

2. In a method of detecting gases, producing a characteristic colored light by heating said gases in the presence of a metal,

which under these conditions will cause emission of such light.

3. In a method of detecting gases, bringing the gases in contact with material capable of forming a substance with the gas to be detected whose vapor emits a characteristic light when heated.

4. In a method of detecting gases, bringing the gases in contact with'material capable of "forming a volatile substance with the gas to be detected whose vapor emits a characteristic colored light when heated.

5. In a method of detecting gases, bringing the gases in contact with heated metal capable of forming a substance with the gas to be detected whose vapor emits a characteristic light when heated.

6. In a method of detecting gases, bringing the gases in contact with a heated copper member.

7. In a method of detecting gases,-bringing together into a flamethe gases and material capable of forming a substance with the gas to be detected whosev vapor imparts a characteristic light to the flame.

8. Int a method of detecting gases, bring ing together into a flame the gases and a metal capable of forming a substance with the gas to be detected whose vapor imparts a characteristic colored light to the flame.

9. In a method of detecting gases, bringing together into a flame the gases and a copper member.

10. In a method of detecting gases, placing a copper spiral in a steadily burning flame, and bringing the gases into said flame. p

11. A method of detecting gases which consists in heatin a mass of suitable mateeoaoas "forming a luminous volatile compound of the same by bringing the gas to be detected into contact therewith.

13. Means for detecting gases, comprising a member made or" material capable 01: forming a substance with the gas to be detected whose vapor emits a characteristic light when heated, means for heating said memher and means for bringing the gas into proximity with the same,

14. Means for detecting gases, comprising a member made of a metal capable of forming substance with the gas to be detected whose vapor emits a characteristic light when heated, means for heating said member, and means for bringing the gas into proximity with the same.

15. Means for. detecting gases, comprising a member niade of copper, means for heating said member and means for bringing the gas into proximity with the same.

16. Means for detecting gases which consists of a metallic member so placed in the combustion zone of a burner as to enable to be heated to glowing. V

17. Means for detecting gases which consists of a copper member so placed in the combustion zone of a burner as to enable it to be heated to glowing.

18. Means for detecting gases which con sists of a burner, a metallic member placed in the zone of combustion of the burner, and air ducts for leading the gas to be detected mixed with air, into Contact with the metallic member.

19. Means for detecting gases which consists of a member of suitable material having an extension adapted to secure said member to a burner in the zone of combustion thereof,

20. Means for detecting gases which consists of a metallic member having a portion adapted to be threaded through the air holes of a burner to secure said member in the zone of combustion of said burner.

GUDFREY M. S, TAIT. 

